Biathletes know how to have fun

megan_tandy02021.jpg

Photograph by: Handout
,

VANCOUVER — Megan Tandy is one of the young members of Canada’s up-and-coming biathlon team.

Now a Squamish, B.C., resident, the 21-year-old from Prince George, B.C., recorded her best World Cup finish in December, finishing 35th in a 15-kilometre individual start race in Slovenia. She was a member of Canada’s ninth-place relay team at the 2009 world championships in Korea.

Canwest: Describe what it was like to film a segment for Rick Mercer’s show on CBC.

Tandy: Rick Mercer came out to do a piece on our sport and we had a blast. He’s as funny off-screen as he is on. He did a great job of balancing things in terms of representing our sport for what it is, as well as making fun. It’s the first kind of TV piece of any length I’ve done and I was really surprised how long it took to set up the shots and how many takes it took.

Canwest: What do outsiders think of biathlon?

Tandy: I’ve heard a lot of weird things said about our sport, like people going ‘Oh, those are real bullets.’ But the most common mistake I get when I tell people I do biathlon is ‘Oh, biathlon, that’s awesome. What’s it like to travel with your bike?’ Yeah, uh, biathlon is not triathlon.

Canwest: What do you do to relax?

Tandy: We have our fun on the biathlon circuit. Most of the time we’re pretty serious, with everything being so dependent on performance, but at the end of the season, or after world championships, and if you’re not driving right home, definitely it’s a good time. We’re endurance athletes, so it doesn’t take much alcohol to get the ball rolling.

Canwest: You and your teammates put together a nude calendar to raise money. What was that experience like?

Tandy: The nude calendar me and my teammates put out last year was incredibly successful. We made almost $100,000. We were prepared for more criticism than we ended up getting and it was a really positive experience. You hear nude calendar and what image comes to mind? Pictures out of Maxim or something like that. But this was black and white and classy and we were able to share our feelings about beauty and strength.

Canwest: Who is your favourite athlete?

Tandy: I don’t really have one athlete I look up to and say ‘she’s my favourite.’ I can learn from tons of people, from watching them shoot, watching them ski. If I had to say there was one person I look up to, it would have to be my Grandma Norman. She’s really positive, super outgoing. She did her first half marathon at 65 years old. She may not be an elite athlete, but she helps me by sharing her sport philosophy.

Canwest: What are your goals heading into the Games?

Tandy: Being my first Olympics, I just want to get the whole experience, feel the energy. I know it will take great skiing, but a top-30 would be awesome. And I just want to be proud of the whole Games as a Canadian. I mean how many times do you get to compete like this, literally in my backyard?

Biathlon facts

• Myriam Bedard: Canada’s first lady of biathlon Myriam Bedard is in a class of her own when it comes to biathlon in Canada. Born in Neufchatel, Que., in 1969, Bedard won Canada’s first World Cup medal (silver, 1990) and finished second overall in World Cup points in 1991-92. She won the country’s first Olympic medal in the sport — bronze at Albertville in 1992 — and, after a string of World Cup and world championship medals (including gold in the 7.5-km sprint in 1993), she won two gold at the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer. She claimed the titles in the 7.5-km sprint and 15-km individual event. Bedard was named Canada’s female athlete of the year in 1994, marking the only time the honour has been bestowed on a biathlete in this country.

• Biathlon was contested at the first Winter Olympic Games (1924) in Chamonix, France, but was removed in 1948 due to postwar, military sentiments. After lobbying from Scandinavian countries, it was restored in 1960 at Squaw Valley, Calif.

• Biathlon is the No. 1 sweat-producing sport of the Winter Games, according to a 2002 study at the Salt Lake City Olympic Games. Cited in The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics: The Vancouver Edition, by David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky, the average woman produces 1.4 litres of sweat (or 3.1 pounds) during the 15-km event, while the average male competitor produces 2.3 litres of sweat (about five pounds) during the 20-km event.

• Female biathletes have competed at the Olympics since 1992.

Four to watch

Rosanna Crawford

Age: 21

Hometown: Canmore, Alta.

Olympic experience: None.

Career highlights: Won gold in the sprint and individual at the 2009 Canadian championships.

Brendan Green

Age: 23

Hometown: Hay River, N.W.T.

Olympic experience: None.

Career highlights: Making his Olympic debut, his best world championship performance was 16th in the relay in 2009.

Zina Kocher

Age: 27

Hometown: Red Deer, Alta.

Olympic experience: 27th in 15-km individual event in Turin.

Career highlights: Fourth at an individual World Cup race in Pokljuka, Slovenia on Dec. 20. Shot a perfect 20 out of 20.

Jean-Philippe Le Guellec

Age: 24

Hometown: Shannon, Que.

Olympic experience: 48th in 20-km individual event in Turin.

Career highlights: A regular top-15 finisher on the World Cup circuit the past two seasons. Tenth in a 20-km individual event to open 2009-10 World Cup season, and 12th in a sprint.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.